Attachments Increase Reel-Mower Effectiveness

Jim Lones

To groom quality turf most effectively, you have a variety of reel-mower
options and attachments from which to choose. Today, you can find standard
features and a range of optional equipment simply be referring to your
mower's sales brochure or calling your distributor. Any of these products
can contribute to improving the quality of your turf areas. Some of the
typical reel-mower options are:

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The final results you desire will determine which of these products is most
useful for your course. Let's look at each to give you an idea of what each
offers.

Choices in number of blades

The number of blades on a reel affects several factors in your mowing task:
efficiency, grass-blade length the unit can cut, clip spacing (also known
as clip rate) and the height of cut.Generally, you have the following
choices:

Four- or five-blade reels. This is the number of blades most commonly used
for mowing golf-course roughs and other high-cut informal turf areas.

Ten- or 11-blade reels. Most turf managers save 10- or 11-blade reels for
manicuring golf-course tees, fairways, approaches, greens and other lowest-cut, very formal turf areas. The reel's diameter and blade spacing
determines the height-of-cut ranges of these units.

As the number of reel blades increases and the space between the blades
becomes narrower, the length of grass the mower can effectively cut and
discharge is reduced. For example, the recommended height-of-cut range for
most five-blade models is 0.313 to 0.5 inch; for most eight-blade models,
it is 0.125 to 0.219 inch.

The number of blades on a reel also affects clip spacing. We compute clip
spacing (see Figure 1, above) using the following formula:

Speed of the unit (inches per minute) divided by cutting-unit rpm divided
by the number of blades in the reel assembly = clip spacing.

The maximum clip spacing for a five-blade reel is 0.40 inch; for an
eight-blade reel, it's 0.25 inch; and for an 11-blade reel, it's 0.18 inch.
The advantage of a closer clip spacing is a smoother turf surface and a
much-improved after-cut appearance. The benefits of maximum clip spacing
depend on the manufacturer's recommended cutting-unit speed, height-of-cut
range and mowing frequency. You can find the recommended height-of-cut
range and mowing speed in your operator's manual.

Roller types

The density of some turfgrasses may require you to add a roller in front of
your reels to increase turf penetration and improve the mower's height of
cut. This is especially important in turf areas with a thatch layer. Three
types of rollers are available to facilitate cutting-unit penetration
during mowing. These options (see Figure 2, above) are:

Full roller. This roller penetrates very little into turfgrass. Its use is
best in situations where you are mowing tougher turfgrasses, which will
tend to "pop up" after the roller goes over them.

Swaged roller. Only the outer edges of this type of roller, and not the
roller's center, touch the grass. Thus, it has less effect of penetrating
the grass surface.

Grooved roller. These rollers offer the maximum penetration of the grass
surface because of the many contact points that result from the grooved
roller surface.

Select the roller that gives the best penetration in your turf situation.

Roller scrapers

Keep in mind that grass clippings, sand and soil can build up on rollers
during mowing and affect a mower's height of cut. Therefore, in addition to
using a roller, consider including a roller-scraper option, if one is
available. Wet turf conditions increase the need for roller scrapers.

Turf-preparation devices

Turf-preparation devices work with rollers to stand the grass up for better
cutting and decrease the buildup of grain, thatch and sponginess. These
devices are important because rollers tend to make turfgrass blades lay
over, making them difficult to cut. Therefore, these turf-preparation
options help to stand the grass blades back up.

They include:

Combs

Brushes (rotating or fixed)

Groomers.

Combs are the least aggressive of the preparation devices. Mounted behind
the front roller, they comb grass up to facilitate cutting and discourage
grain formation.

Brushes (rotating or fixed) brush grass up more effectively than combs and
limit the tendency of grain formation. You also mount them behind the
roller.

Turf groomers are the most aggressive of the preparation options. Mounted
behind the roller, they use several small metal blades on a rotating shaft
to stand grass blades and cut horizontally growing grass stems.

All three of the previously described options fit onto the reel-mower unit.
Other, special-purpose units fit in place of the reel unit itself. Two
special-purpose units are:

Dethatching reels

Spikers.

Dethatching reels have blades similar to a turf groomer in shape and design
(see photo, page G 33). However, the length of their blades is almost the
same as the diameter of a regular reel blade. These rotating blades sever
stolons and throw thatch to the grass surface for disposal. An advantage of
periodic dethatching is healthier grass with less grain and a smoother
playing and mowing surface. In addition, you can sometimes reduce the
amount of fertilizer and water you use because your turf will experience
less run-off when you remove the thatch.

Spikers (see photo, page G 33) are for situations where you want more
penetration into the soil surface. The spiker unit has numerous
special-profile rotating blades that act like daggers to spike the turf
surface. These openings allow quicker access of chemicals or water to the
turf's root systems. Thus, turf treated after spiking usually responds
quicker to the substance applied.

To gain the greatest advantages from mowing equipment, consider equipping
each of your reel mowers with options specifically tailored to your mowing
environment. In doing so, you'll maximize the performance of each piece of
mowing equipment you own.

Jim Lones is a professor in the turf-equipment technology program at Lake
City Community College (Lake City, Fla.).